Membranes and methods of use thereof

Abstract

Systems and methods for treating a membrane are described. The method includes causing a nanomaterial to contact at least a portion of a wall of at least on channel extending through a membrane, and causing the nanomaterial to adhere to the portion of the wall of the at least one channel. A fluid filtration system is also described. The filtration system includes a housing and a filter membrane. The housing may have a reservoir and a filter compartment. The filter membrane may have a channel extending therethrough. The channel may have a plurality of micropores along a wall thereof. The filter compartment may be configured to receive the filter membrane therein, the filter membrane configured to guide fluid thereacross to remove substances from the fluid or to modify substances in the fluid.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A method of treating a membrane, the method comprising:
 cutting a first trench across at least one of an upstream portion of the membrane or a downstream portion of the membrane; 
 causing a nanomaterial to contact at least a portion of a wall of a plurality of channels extending through a membrane, the membrane comprising a block including the plurality of channels extending therethrough; and 
 causing the nanomaterial to adhere to the portion of the wall of the plurality of channels, 
 wherein the trench cuts across the plurality of channels. 
 
     
     
       2. The method of  claim 1 , further comprising forming a pattern in at least one of a top portion of the membrane or a bottom portion of the membrane,
 wherein the pattern is formed by positioning the plurality of channels relative to one another and to at least one of the top portion of the membrane or the bottom portion of the membrane. 
 
     
     
       3. The method of  claim 2 , wherein the pattern is selected from the group consisting of a hatch pattern, a saw-tooth pattern, a straight pattern, a zig-zag pattern, a recurring arcuate pattern, and any combination thereof. 
     
     
       4. The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 cutting a second trench across at least one of the upstream portion of the membrane or the downstream portion of the membrane, the second trench intersecting the first trench. 
 
     
     
       5. The method of  claim 1 , further comprising, after causing the nanomaterial to adhere to the portion of the wall of the plurality of channels, at least one of curing the membrane, increasing a temperature of the membrane to a predetermined temperature, drying the membrane, or charring the membrane. 
     
     
       6. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the nanomaterial includes at least one of nanoparticles, nanowires, nanotubes, or graphene. 
     
     
       7. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the nanomaterial is made of least one of titanium dioxide, a metal, an oxide, a polymer, gold, copper, nickel, silver, or an alloy. 
     
     
       8. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the membrane comprises porous wood having channels extending therethrough. 
     
     
       9. The method of  claim 8 , wherein the wood is selected from the group consisting of surface-treated wood, heat-treated wood, natural wood, synthetic wood, partially delignified wood, completely delignified wood, carbonized wood, and any combination thereof. 
     
     
       10. The method of  claim 1 , further comprising cutting the membrane across the at least one channel of the plurality of channels prior to cutting the first trench. 
     
     
       11. The method of  claim 10 , wherein cutting the membrane across the at least one channel of the plurality of channels includes cutting the membrane at an angle with respect to the at least one channel. 
     
     
       12. A fluid filtration system comprising:
 a housing having a reservoir and a filter compartment; and 
 a filter membrane comprising a block having a plurality of channels extending therethrough, the plurality of channels having a plurality of micropores along a wall of at least one channel of the plurality of channels, 
 wherein the filter compartment is configured to receive the filter membrane therein, 
 wherein the filter membrane is configured to guide fluid thereacross to remove substances from the fluid or to modify substances in the fluid, 
 wherein at least one channel of the plurality of channels has a nanomaterial disposed along at least a portion of a wall of the at least one channel, 
 wherein the filter membrane has a first trench extending along a first surface of the filter membrane; and 
 wherein the trench cuts across the plurality of channels. 
 
     
     
       13. The fluid filtration system of  claim 12 , wherein the filter membrane has an upstream channel portion extending therethrough and a downstream channel portion extending therethrough, the upstream channel portion configured to guide fluid in a first direction and the downstream channel portion configured to guide fluid in a second direction. 
     
     
       14. The fluid filtration system of  claim 13 , wherein the upstream channel portion and the downstream channel portion are configured to guide fluid in a cascade configuration. 
     
     
       15. The fluid filtration system of  claim 12 , wherein the membrane has a second trench extending along a second surface of the filter membrane. 
     
     
       16. The fluid filtration system of  claim 12 , wherein the filter compartment is configured to extend past at least one end portion of the filter membrane to form a cavity between the filter compartment and the end portion of the filter membrane. 
     
     
       17. The fluid filtration system of  claim 16 , wherein the fluid is guided from a first channel having a plurality of micropores to a second channel. 
     
     
       18. A membrane comprising:
 a block including an upper portion and a lower portion; 
 a plurality of channels extending through the block from the upper portion of the membrane toward the lower portion of the membrane; and 
 a nanomaterial disposed along walls of the plurality of channels, the nanomaterial configured to chemically interact with fluid flowing through the plurality of channels of the membrane, 
 wherein a first trench is cut across at least one of an upstream portion of the membrane or a downstream portion of the membrane, and 
 wherein the trench cuts across the plurality of channels. 
 
     
     
       19. The membrane of  claim 18 , wherein the membrane is cut across at least one of the channels. 
     
     
       20. The membrane of  claim 18 , wherein the membrane is cut at an angle relative to at least one of the channels. 
     
     
       21. The membrane of  claim 18 , wherein a pattern is formed along either the upper portion of the membrane, the lower portion of the membrane, an upstream portion of the membrane, or a downstream portion of the membrane. 
     
     
       22. The membrane of  claim 21 , wherein the pattern is a pattern selected from the group consisting of a hatch pattern, a saw-tooth pattern, a straight pattern, a zig-zag pattern, a recurring arcuate pattern, and any combination thereof. 
     
     
       23. The membrane of  claim 18 , wherein a second trench is cut across at least one of the upstream portion of the membrane or the downstream portion of the membrane, the second trench intersecting the first trench. 
     
     
       24. The membrane of  claim 18 , wherein the nanomaterial includes at least one of nanoparticles, nanowires, nanotubes, or graphene. 
     
     
       25. The membrane of  claim 18 , wherein the nanomaterial is formed of a material selected from the group consisting of titanium dioxide, a metal, an oxide, a polymer, gold, copper, nickel, silver, an alloy, and any combination thereof. 
     
     
       26. The membrane of  claim 18 , wherein the membrane is wood selected from the group consisting of surface-treated wood, heat-treated wood, natural wood, synthetic wood, partially delignified wood, completely delignified wood, carbonized wood, and any combination thereof.